Chapter Text
November 26, 1988
Local high school, Japan
That’s Jojo in the nurse’s office. Maeno had heard from the gaggle of girls that follow him around that he had tripped down the stairs earlier this morning. Whatever. She isn’t infatuated with him like they are. She doesn’t need to stop in and check on him.
There’s a crash. It sounds like it came from inside, but she keeps walking. It’s not her problem. He’s a delinquent. He probably caused the ruckus in the first place.
***
December 21, 1988
Local high school, Japan
Jojo has been missing for almost a month. The teachers are convinced that he’s playing hooky, because his mother insists that he’s alive and well, though where he is, she has no idea. There are factions of his “fan club” that insist he’ll come back for them, and others that have moved on to fawn over some other unlucky lad. She couldn’t care less. She just needs to get through this school year so she can head off to university and move on with her life.
“Hey Maeno, we’re all going to karaoke tonight!”
She barely registers the acquaintance. The girl is on the student council, if she’s remembering correctly. “I’m busy,” Maeno says curtly, grabbing her books and hustling out the door before she can be pried for more details. She heads straight home like she always does.
“Manami! You’re home!” her younger sister Seiko welcomes her with a mischievous grin. “Let’s beat Dad’s record in Super Mario Bros. 3 while he isn’t home!”
“Can’t. Homework.” Maeno smiles sadly and ruffles her sister’s hair. “But maybe later.” She spends the rest of the evening pouring over her textbooks. She doesn’t believe in fate or destiny, so it’s up to her to pass this school year with flying colors and land a hefty scholarship to the University of Tokyo. She’s going to be a successful businesswoman, maybe even manage a company someday. She doesn’t have time for karaoke or video games.
***
January 23, 1989
Local high school, Japan
Jojo is back in school. Hooky it was, then. The girls complain that he’s different, now. Maeno, again, couldn’t care less.
“Maeno, can I talk to you?”
Her head flies up, and she locks eyes with her homeroom teacher.
“I’m in a hurry,” she lies.
“You’ve been doing very well in my class, and your others if I’m told correctly, but I barely see you spending time with your classmates.”
Maeno rolls her eyes. “I’m not a people person,” she says, grabbing her books and clutching them to her chest. “I’ve got a test in Advanced Trigonometry tomorrow. I have to go.” She runs out of the room before the teacher can say another word.
***
September 13, 1989
University of Tokyo, Japan
Summer was absolutely boring. After graduating in March, Maeno didn’t have anything to do until the fall semester started at the university. Her family took a week-long vacation to visit her grandmother in the Philippines, but that’s all she did. Most of her classmates spent the time visiting with friends, but she, well... she doesn’t have friends. And that’s okay.
Maeno thinks about Yuki. Yuki was practically her sister up through middle school, but after she moved away, Maeno broke down. Yuki wasn’t dead, but she might as well have been. That spot of her heart was ripped out, and it still hasn’t healed. She hasn’t gotten close to anyone else since. She’s definitely not risking it now.
“Maeno, let’s go meet the other students in our dorm!” her suitemate cheerfully suggests.
“No thanks.”
“O-okay then, suit yourself!” The student shuffles out of the room, leaving Maeno alone.
She climbs up into her loft, pulls a blanket over her head, and holds her knees close to her chest.
She can’t afford to get close to anyone. Not now. Not when she’s so close to success.
***
April 17, 1994
University of Tokyo, Japan
Maeno walks across the stage and snatches her diploma out of the university president’s hands. Finally. Enough classes. Enough unpaid internships. She’s ready to start her journey to the top. Three different companies already offered her entry-level positions, so she should be happy.
Happy she’s done with this leg of her life, at least. No more polite conversations in the line to grab dinner. No more excuses for why she can’t attend any events on campus. No more lies about what she did over her breaks, when in reality she spent them studying and playing the SNES her dad got for her.
Success. That’s what she’s been chasing. Taking fate into her own hands and becoming a success.
***
June 1, 1995
Kame-Yu Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan
“Promotion?”
“Yes, Miss Maeno. Your work has been absolutely superb. The branch in Morioh could use a competent manager like you.”
“Thank you very much, sir. I will continue to work hard, there.”
Maeno doesn’t have too many belongings. She practically lives in the office, anyway. It only takes a single day to pack everything up, throw it in the back of a truck, and take a taxi out to the port town of Morioh. “Small towns are really nice,” her mom tells her over the phone. “Even the people start to feel like home.” Maeno hasn’t been concerned with people on any level other than business since she started working. She tries to be polite when necessary, but she’s hardly cordial. Her previous coworkers called her “grouch.” Whatever. At least they avoided her. She didn’t have to fabricate stories or excuses like when she was in school. “Maybe you’ll find some friends there. You seem awfully lonely.”
“I’m fine,” Maeno lies. She’ll take aching loneliness over the agonizing pain of loss any day.
***
September 12, 1995
Kame-Yu Department Store, Morioh, Japan
“I’m bringing in lunch for the office tomorrow. Please fill out what toppings you want on your sandwiches.” Maeno hands slips of paper to each of her employees and sighs. When she set sights on being at the top of this company, she didn’t realize how drained from socialization she’d be. Back at school, her conversations were only in passing. Here, she’s expected to build relationships—that dreaded word—with her subordinates. At least she’s always working late. She always has an excuse to get out of weekly company dinners.
Her attention jolts to the slip in her hand. The person that grabbed it had run his fingers against hers by accident. It startled her. “Thank you for providing lunch,” he says. What was his name again? She thought she knew everyone in the office by now.
“Your welcome, Mister… Kira,” she finally remembers. “Just trying to be a good boss, you know.”
“Of course.”
“Speaking of, I couldn’t find the inventory figure on your last report.”
“Hm.” He avoids eye contact with her, and she’s thankful. Actually, she hasn’t seen him joining the coworkers for dinners either. Maybe he’s pushing people away just like she is. “It must be because you insisted on using new forms we are unfamiliar with,” he says with enough bite that she winces. Nevermind. He’s just really stubborn. (Also much like her, but she won’t admit it.)
Maeno frowns at him. “They make it easier for the retail workers to restock shelves.”
“I see.”
“Please try to adapt to the new format.”
“I will.”
She narrows her eyes and spins around on her toes, but it feels like his eyes are boring through her when she moves on to the next employee.
***
October 10, 1995
Kame-Yu Department Store, Morioh, Japan
2:45 PM
“Miss Maeno, you have to go out today! It’s your birthday!”
She shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m staying late at the office tonight.”
“You’re no fun!”
Maeno doesn’t care. The people at this branch are too lively. It feels like they pester her to party every single night. She never says yes.
Maybe she’s no fun, after all.
***
October 10, 1995
Kame-Yu Department Store, Morioh, Japan
5:59 PM
Maeno runs the last file through the fax machine. Finally, she can go home. She’s earned some semblance of a break. It’s her birthday, after all. Maybe she’ll grab something sweet on the way home and play Yoshi’s Island all evening.
“Mori-Mori-Morioh… Morioh Cho Radio! Good evening, Morioh! It’s time for the evening news!”
That’s weird. The radio is blaring next door, but as far as she knows, she’s the only one in the building.
The door to the office creaks open. Did she leave it unlocked?
“Hello?” she calls, tapping her stack of papers on the desk to straighten them out, then heading towards the door. “Who’s there?” The silhouette looks familiar. Oh, it’s just—
“Yoshikage Kira,” he introduces himself. “But you know that already, Boss.”
“Yes, sorry Mr. Kira. I thought you had already finished your work for today,” she explains. “I didn’t think you needed to stay late. I’ll get out of your way.”
“No, no, no. In fact, I was hoping to find you here,” he says calmly.
This is unusual. He rarely speaks to her. “Did… you need help with something?” she asks. “You’ve been completing your tasks on time.”
He looks up and holds his chin in his hand in thought. “Yes, I suppose I have been. It’s been difficult with you changing all of the norms in this office, but I have managed quite well, if I do say so myself.”
“Yes, well, if you don’t need my help, then I’ll be on my way. Have a good night, Mr. Kira.” She tries to brush past him, but he catches her wrist. She drops her papers.
“I never said that,” he says, pulling her back. “I have a different need of you.”
“Don’t touch me.” She yanks her hand away and tries to pick up the scattered documents, but something stops her. She can’t see it, but she can feel it. It lifts her up off of the ground and turns her towards Kira. With a more level head than the situation calls for, she asks, “What’s going on?”
“I said that I still need you,” he says, taking her hand and helping her down from… whatever was just holding her. The invisible thing keeps a hold on her shoulder. “You see, I have certain… desires that I would like to take care of.”
Maeno wrinkles her brow in confusion, then slaps her forehead with her free hand. “Wow, sorry, I totally missed your vibe. Listen, Mr. Kira, you’re a fine employee, but I’m not looking for a relationship right now. Especially not when I’m your boss.”
He frowns and shakes his head. “On the contrary, Miss Maeno, you don’t get a say in the matter.”
“What?” The hand on her shoulder tightens even more. Hand? Her head snaps to the pink, gloved hand on her shoulder. “What is that!?” Her cool exterior crumbles with the sight of the huge pink cat(?) standing behind her.
“...you can see my Killer Queen?”
“Your what!?” she flings her attention back to Kira. “That… that thing is yours?”
“You must have one, too,” he says, lifting up her arm, then kneeling down to look at her shoes. “Where are you hiding it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she says, trying to brush the cat-like creature away from her. Her hand fazes right through it.
“Oh, is it this smoke?” Kira asks, waving his arm and scattering a purple mist through the air. “Did you recently receive this gift from the Arrow as well?”
“Tell your cat to let me go!”
“Shh. It’s late. Don’t be noisy.” He grabs onto her hand again. “And please hold still. I don’t want to make a mess.”
“I said, let me g—”
The cat’s arm crashes down and severs her right hand from her arm.
She should scream, but she can’t bring herself to make a single sound.
“Very good. Now, I heard at the office that today is your birthday. Is that true?”
Maeno stares forward, unable to process his question.
“How old did you just turn? Twenty-four? Twenty-five? I’m twenty-nine.”
She looks down at her arm. It’s gushing blood.
“Perhaps it would have been fun to visit my home before this. It’s a villa in the northeast section of this city with plenty of space to house guests. The neighbors are pleasant, and I have a lovely view of the sunrise each morning from my back porch. It would have been wonderful to show it to you.” He sets her severed hand down and grabs her other, still attached to her body. “But I digress. I was thinking I would give you a gift for your birthday. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
She’s about to pass out. She’s losing way too much blood.
He slides a bedazzled bracelet onto her wrist. “See? I think it suits your complexion quite well. I have a good eye for these things. You look absolutely stunning.”
She stares down at the present, then passes out. The cat catches her.
“How dreary. I know I told her to be quiet, but I expected her to be more defiant. She accepted her fate too peacefully.” Kira sighs and motions for Killer Queen to activate. Maeno’s body explodes, leaving only her two hands behind. “Perhaps I should have given her the gift before taking my own.” He holds her left hand up to his face and smiles, cupping his own cheek with it. “Your skin is softer than I imagined. What a gentle touch for someone who so ruthlessly upended all of our office routines. I think I will enjoy my time with you. What do you say we grab dinner, my treat? You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
His attention is stolen by the unadorned right hand resting on a desk beside him. “Don’t be jealous of her. I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out.” He daintily picks it up, holds it in front of his face, and kisses the palm. “There. Will that tide you over until dinner?” The fingers fall, resting against his nose. “You’re so needy. Very well, I suppose we can remain here a little while longer.” He sits down, cradling the left hand against his face and languidly licking the right.
The office door clicks shut.
***
June 3, 1999
Morioh Grand Hotel, Morioh, Japan
Jotaro Kujo flips through files he had acquired from the archives in the city. The number of missing people in Morioh remains catastrophically high, even after the “apprehension” of Anjuro Katagiri. He stops at a file from 1995. A stern businesswoman with dull eyes stares back at him. She was reported missing on October 11, and with no family in town, they didn’t have a lead on where she could have disappeared to.
“Manami Maeno… I think I’ve heard that name before… Did we go to the same high school?”
The phone rings. He doesn’t dwell on her longer.